Locking means for covers for water boxes



June 20, 1939. T. E. BART LOCKING MEANS FOR COVERS FOR WA TER BOXES Filed July 16, 1937 6 m d OI m. 8 Z O: r um F a m (Y j Tia/724 s 5 50/2 BY A ORNEY.

Patented June 20, 1939 UNITED STATES LOCKING MEANS Fon COVERS non WATER BOXES Application July 16, 1937, Serial No. 154,112

5 Claims.

This invention relates to covers for waterboxes and the like and more particularly to looking means for such covers.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a simple device for controlling access to the interior of a water-box and its contents.

Another object of my invention is to provide a lid for water-boxes and the like containing a simple locking device which will be flush with the exposed upper face of the lid when the same is in closed position.

In providing water-boxes with lids, it has heretofore been the practice to secure the lids to a housing member by means of bolts with nuts on the exterior end thereof or by means of padlocks or other key-controlled devices. Considerable difiiculty has been experienced in that children and'mischievously inclined people open such devices and turn on water supplies and leave them 3 run as well as doing other improper things therewith. While it is possible to use padlocks or other key-controlled devices of that character for controlling access to the valve and Water connections within such devices, practical considerations render such arrangements unsatisfactory because the key holes and the like might be plugged up with mud or something of that character, thereby making it rather difiicult to open the devices.

According to the present invention, the above difliculties and disadvantages have been obviated by providing a device which permits easy access to the interior of the water-box by a simple arrangement of parts and which provides an effective locking means especially adapted to be utilized for controlling access to water-boxes and the like.

With the above and other objects in View, the invention consists in general of certain novel details of construction and combination of parts hereinafter fully described, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

These and other objects are attained by the means described herein and disclosed in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a top view of the device.

Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the opening key.

Fig. 3 is a side view of a portion of the key.

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the locking mechanism.

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional elevation showing the relation. of parts of the locking members.

Fig. 6 is a cross-section taken on line 6-5 of Fig. 1.

in the embodiment of my invention shown in the present drawing, there is provided a housing or casing It, having a lid 8 l, which is hinged to the housing It, in any suitable manner so that the same may be opened, and closed. At the side opposite the hinged connection to the lid of the housing It, there is formed a depression or recess 42 in which is rotatably mounted a locking mem: ber 93. The member l3 should be of a. thickness such that it will fit within the recess l2 when assembled with the lid, thereby making it impossible to manipulate the same by means of pliers or any other instrument that would permit the obtaining of a bite upon the member I3 if it projected above the surface of the lid l t. A passage l4 extends downwardly from the recess l2 and receives the stud formed integral with the member l3. At the lower end of the stud i5 is a laterally extending lug it having an inclined upper face ll adapted to cooperate with an inclined lower face 18 formed on a lug i'lfi cast integral with the member ill and disposed within the recess l9 in the housing in. The passageway l S is provided with a lateral extension 26 in order to facilitate assembly of the member l3 in the lid l l. A ring-like retaining means 2! is mounted in an annular groove 22 in the stud shaft [5 and prevents separation of the member it from the lid ll.

As shown in Fig. 4, in the upper face 23 of the member l3 there is provided a key-receiving recess 24 which may be of triangular shape or any other shape. The recess 24 is preferably of such size and contour that the insertion of the ordi nary plier handle or screw driver bit will not serve for rotating the member l3 in its seat in the lid I I. With a proper instrument, such as the key 25 shown in Figs. 2 and 3, adapted to fit within the recess 24, it is possible to effect a very substantial locking of the lugs l6 and I'll] by reason of their inclined faces so that ordinary articles that might be available to children or mischievously disposed persons would be inadequate to disconnect the two lugs.

Referring to Fig. 6, the key 25 may be inserted in the key receiving recess 24 and rotated in a clockwise direction by means of a handle 26. The rotatable locking member I3 and stud shaft l5 are then turned until the inclined face I! of the lug I6 is directly under and in engagement with the inclined face l8 on lug iii) carried by member It. The device is thus locked. To unlock the device, the member I3 is rotated in an anti-clockwise direction, thereby disengaging the lugs l6 and H0 and permitting the lid II to be tilted back on its hinges so that a suitable tool 66 may be inserted in the opening 28 and used to manipulate a valve located therein.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a simple and efiicient device of the kind described above and for the purpose indicated herein.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness. of understanding only and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, but it should be construed as broadly as permissible in view of the prior art.

What is claimed is:

1. In a device of the class described, a lid for closing a hollow housing including a lug having an inclined lower face, a recess in said lid, a passageway provided with a lateral extension extending downwardly from said recess for insertion of a laterally extending lug on a locking member, a rotatable locking member mounted in said recess and having a top surface in alignment with the surface of the lid, a stud shaft extending through said passage and integral with said locking member, and having at its lower end a laterally extending lug having an inclined upper surface adapted to register with the inclined lower face of said housing lug, and means on said shaft to prevent the separation of said locking member and said lid, and closing the lateral extension of the passageway against movement therethrough of the laterally extending lug when the parts are assembled.

2. In a device of the class described, a closure member for a hollow housing including a lug having a lower face inclined between the lateral edges thereof, said member having an opening therethrough, said opening being enlarged at the outer face of said member and having a lateral extension at one side thereof, a locking member having a head adapted to be received in said enlarged portion of the opening through the clo- 4 sure member and comprising a stud portion projecting from said head and a laterally extending lug formed on said stud at the free end of the stud, said lug being of a shape and size such that it niay pass through the lateral extension of the opening through the closure member, the stud having an inclined face on the side thereof adjacent to the head, the stud and lug being of such sizes that the lug, when passed through the opening in the closure member may be disposed adjacent the lug on the housing with the inclined faces on said lugs in substantial parallel relation and in frictional contact whereby to secure the closure member in the open side of the housing,

and retaining means carried by the stud portion of the locking member, intermediate the lug and head thereof for precluding entry of the lug on the locking member into the lateral extension of the opening in the closure member, whereby to avoid separation of said members.

3. In a device of the class described, a housing lid comprising a hinge and an apertured depend ing boss at opposite sides thereof, the aperture of the boss comprising a lower keyhole-shaped portion and an enlarged upper circular recess in registering relationship, a latch member rotatable in said aperture and comprising a shaft, a laterally extending lug on one end of the shaft insertable through the keyhole portion of the lid aperture, a circular head on the other end of the shaft and closely fitting the circular upper recess of the lid to preclude the insertion of prying instruments therebetween, said head having a noncircuiar key receiving recess including side walls of enlarged proportions and spacing.

4. In a device of the class described, a housing lid comprising a hinge and an apertured depending boss at opposite sides thereof, the aperture of the boss comprising a lower keyhole-shaped portion and an enlarged upper circular recess in registering relationship, a latch member rotatable in said aperture and comprising a shaft, a later ally extending lug on one end of the shaft insertable through the keyhole portion of the lid aperture, a circular head on the other end of the shaft and closely fitting the circular upper recess of the lid to preclude the insertion of prying instruments therebetween, said head having a noncircular key receiving recess with straight-sided Walls angular-1y disposed out of parallelism.

5. In a device of the class described,'a housing lid comprising a hinge and an apertured depending boss at opposite sides thereof, the aperture of the boss comprising a lower keyhole-shaped portion and an enlarged upper circular recess in registering relationship, a latch member rotatable in said aperture and comprising a shaft, a laterally extending lug on one end of the shaft insertable through the keyhole portion of the lid aperture, a circular head on the other end of the shaft and closely fitting the circular upper recess of the lid to preclude the insertion of prying instruments therebetween, said head having a noncircular key receiving recess including straightsided walls of enlarged proportions arranged at acute angles to one another in triangle formation.

THOMAS E. BART. 

